University of North Carolina Athletics
Sophomore Isaiah Denis
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
ACC Announces Game Time For ACC/SEC Challenge Vs. Arkansas
September 21, 2026 | Men's Basketball
ESPN announced the network schedule for the fourth annual men's ACC/SEC Challenge, an event showcase featuring many of the nation's premier programs in some of college basketball's most anticipated non-conference matchups.
Carolina will host Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday December 1 on ESPN.
The ACC/SEC Challenge will be contested Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Wednesday, Dec. 2. Games will air across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network and stream on the ESPN App.
The men's Challenge features 12 teams in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Men's Basketball Top-25, including No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Duke, No. 4 Texas, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 10 Arkansas..
Opening night features a blockbuster ESPN doubleheader, beginning with No. 10 Arkansas at North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET. The spotlight then shifts to Gainesville, where preseason No. 1 Florida hosts No. 2 Duke in a rare regular-season meeting between the nation's top two teams. The marquee matchups continue Wednesday with No. 19 Kentucky visiting No. 13 Virginia at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by No. 14 Alabama at No. 17 Miami at 9:15 p.m. ET.
2026 SEC/ACC Men's Basketball Challenge
Carolina will host Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday December 1 on ESPN.
The ACC/SEC Challenge will be contested Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Wednesday, Dec. 2. Games will air across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network and stream on the ESPN App.
The men's Challenge features 12 teams in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Men's Basketball Top-25, including No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Duke, No. 4 Texas, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 10 Arkansas..
Opening night features a blockbuster ESPN doubleheader, beginning with No. 10 Arkansas at North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET. The spotlight then shifts to Gainesville, where preseason No. 1 Florida hosts No. 2 Duke in a rare regular-season meeting between the nation's top two teams. The marquee matchups continue Wednesday with No. 19 Kentucky visiting No. 13 Virginia at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by No. 14 Alabama at No. 17 Miami at 9:15 p.m. ET.
2026 SEC/ACC Men's Basketball Challenge
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Where to Watch |
| Tue, Dec. 1 | 5 p.m. | Boston College at Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 7 p.m. | Florida State at Tennessee | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Auburn at Clemson | ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | South Carolina at NC State | ACC Network | |
| 7 p.m. | Pittsburgh at Missouri | SEC Network | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Arkansas at North Carolina | ESPN | |
| 9 p.m. | Texas at Louisville | ESPN2 | |
| 9 p.m. | Syracuse at Oklahoma | ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | Ole Miss at Virginia Tech | ACC Network | |
| 9 p.m. | Wake Forest at LSU | SEC Network | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Duke at Florida | ESPN | |
| Wed, Dec 2 | 7:15 p.m. | Kentucky at Virginia | ESPN |
| 7:15 p.m. | Vanderbilt at Notre Dame | ACC Network | |
| 9:15 p.m. | Alabama at Miami | ESPN | |
| 9:15 p.m. | Stanford at Texas A&M | ESPNU | |
| 9:15 p.m. | Georgia Tech at Mississippi State | SEC Network |
Thursday, October 15
Wednesday, October 14
Tuesday, October 13
Tuesday, October 13